I cannot do anything on my own;
I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just,
because I do not seek my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
Jesus does nothing out of selfish ambition. With us it is quite different. Our own desires cloud our judgment. When we judge it is hard to ignore how we ourselves are impacted. Consequently, mercy is difficult for us. But Jesus judges only as the heart of the Father leads him to judge. Therefore, he is able to show mercy even to his enemies. The Father, seeing the complete transparency of the Son to his will, makes Jesus the focal point of judgment. It is how we relate to this one who perfectly carries out the Father's will that determines how we ourselves are judged. If we can welcome someone so completely full of love and selfless we can receive mercy. But it is not as easy as it sounds. In contrast to him are hearts are dirty and full of sin. Accepting Jesus diagnoses our sin at the same time. It is only in this diagnosis that we ourselves find mercy.
Why does the LORD tell us this? Why do we need to understand the how and why of judgment and mercy? He is concerned that when we see ourselves in the light of the perfect man we will feel condemned. He is afraid that in that condemnation we will flee from his presence just as Adam and Eve once did. He doesn't want us to flee. Neither does he want us to remain as we are. The thing for which he truly longs is that we be healed, made new, and find comfort in him.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth,
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the LORD comforts his people
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
Sometimes when our gaze is a bit too inward focused we will forsaken. Yet this is impossible.
But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me."
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Everything in the world works together for those that love God and are called according to his purpose (see Romans 8:28). He longs for the whole world to pass from death to life and not come to condemnation. The one thing necessary for this is to hear his word and believe.
Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live.
It's a long game. It involves self-knowledge. But we can be confident that it is not the approach of someone who seeks our condemnation. The one who is more tender in his love to us than a mother to her child can love us no more than this. Let us hear Jesus and live.
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